arrest. another person had to be taken to the hospital after a serious car accident in prince george's county. chopper 4 was over the scene last night along route 197 in laurel. police say two people were ejected from their vehicle after losing control, shutting down route 197 for hours. one of the people in the car has life-threatening injuries. police are still trying to figure out what led to that crash. today, metro will release a report detailing their decision of how far the new silver line will run. now they will run all the way out to largo town center. the report says the area where trains could turn around were st. paul and couldn't be up grated to meet ntsb safety standards. the change will cost about $4.6 million in the first year and will reduce the number of orange and blue line trains eliminating new rush plus service on the line. time to get our first check

of weather and traffic on the 1s and it's a big change. a big difference from yesterday. >> that's right. you could feel it as soon as you stepped out the door. what happened to our spring? >> i call it dysfunctional december. a big cold change came in. we've dropped over 40 degrees in about the last 36 hours. incredible change. a lot of that drop has occurred just in the last six or seven hours. look at these temperatures now. it is below freezing. most of the region has dipped down into the upper 20s. in montgomery county, fairfax county and parts of prince george's county is right near freezing. arlington in the low to mid 30s. manassas down to 25. frederick, maryland, down to 25 degrees this morning. what a rude awakening when you step out the walk the dog and get ready to go to work and school this morning, you'll need your winter coat. but mercifully, we don't have much wind. look at the view from space. don't have any clouds. we've got all of the autumn constellations shining brightly.

dress for a cold day, a cold morning. we'll still be below freezing by 6:00. by noontime, the low 40s. sunset 4:46. i'm returning in ten minutes with the hometown forecast. look who's here now. danella with your first 4 traffic. good morning. >> i'm here with a problem that's going to affect your commute through the morning rush, at least it's expected to as of right now. there's a crash the outer loop of the beltway at i-270. an overturned tractor-trailer. it blocks your right lane. reportedly it is involving some type of produce truck. it's on its side. you can expect delays this morning if you're traveling the outer loop of the beltway. just be aware of that. let's take a look at i-95 in maryland. had a crash that was right on the right shoulder lane. it's completely clear. as you make your way southbound i-95 in maryland, no issues to report. let's head over to i-95 in virginia. no issues to the beltway.

richard, over to you. the edge of the fiscal cliff is just 25 days away, but today lawmakers are headed home for a long weekend with no meetings on the looming crisis planned. yesterday's negotiations cons t consisted of a phone call between president obama and house speaker john boehner. both are still sticking so their separate plans. the president raises taxes on the top 2% to raise 1.6 billion in revenue while the gop wants to close tax loopholes to raise half as much. >> there are ways to limit deductions, close loopholes and have the same people pay more of their money to the federal government without raising tax rates. >> we can probably solve this in about a week. it's not that tough. but we need that breakthrough that says we need to do a balanced plan. >> the white house says they are also concerned that republicans may use the debt ceiling, which will need to be raised early

next year, to get their way on tax and spending cuts. the pentagon is also preparing to make cuts if no deal is reached. the preliminary plan is to cut $500 billion in programs. the pentagon spokesman says it could force them to abandon their new military strategy. it's also likely to affect spending and military weapons. melissa with some breaking news. >> at least five people have been killed in clashes in cairo overnight. we're now hearing at least 500 people have been wounded. take a look at this video just into the newsroom. tanks are now being brought in to control the crowds. there are protesters and supporters outside president mohamed morsi's palace. they're arguing over the country's new constitution, which many say gives morsi too much power. today world leaders are keeping an eye on syria after reports that the syrian military is preparing to use chemical

weapons on its own people. the military there has reportedly begun loading the chemicals for a deadly nerve gas into aerial bombs that could be dropped from dozens of fighter bombers. they're reportedly just waiting on record from president bashar assad to fire. in past attacks, just a single attack has killed thousands of people. in the philippines, hundreds are dead and even more are missing after a powerful typhoon slammed the south pacific. the death toll has risen to over 300. in one area, about 80 villagers died in a flash flood that swamped two emergency shelters and a military camp. about 400 are still missing. after hurricane sandy, the national weather service is reconsidering how it issues warnings. they're considering issuie watches and warnings even if the storm is not a hurricane or

tropical storm. it cause mid people to not realize the danger of the storm. meantime, the senate transportation committee will hold a meeting to discuss how the storm damaged transportation. today is a big day in maryland. the state will start issuing marriage licenses for same-sex couples. the documents will be post dated as january 1st, 2013. they are allowing this to avoid a black log at the first of the year, when same-sex marriage will be legal in maryland. the vote last month helped couples better plan their ceremonies. >> they really wanted maryland. they didn't want to go to d.c. they didn't want to go to delaware. so they were just kind of waiting. i have been doing ceremonies in maryland, but normally they get married in d.c. first and they do a big wedding ceremony for family and friends in maryland. >> court officials say the process could cause a backlog on marriage licenses today. their computer systems typically don't process post dated documents. licenses will be available for same-sex couples in washington state as well. the state's governor signed the

law into effect wednesday and takes effect today. some counties there started issuing wedding ser tiff katz and licenses just after midnight. also today in washington state, recreational use of marijuana is now legal. this afternoon, the first family will flip the switch for the lighting of the christmas tree. actor neil patrick harris will host this year. the event will have performances by james taylor, kjason mraz, ad the fray. we're going to be there. you look for live coverage on nbc 4 and our website, nbcwashington.com. 15th street will be closed between constitution at pennsylvania avenues. 17th street will be closed between constitution and new york avenues. but those roads should reopen around 7:00. >> it's always a very lovely

event. it is now 4:37. 37 degrees out there. be careful what you post online. the judge's order for a woman who wrote negative reviews on yelp. >> a rare storm down under. it's left quite a mess. a shock to the system as you step outside. how long

a rare tornado swept through parts of auckland, new zealand, today, killing three people and forcing 250 others from their homes. it damaged buildings and closed roads. tornados are extremely rare in new zealand because of its temperate climate. it averages about seven tornados a year, but most are small and do little damage. in is the deadliest tornado there in 40 years. you may have been reaching for that extra blanket overnight because it got cold. >> this morning i bundled up and i was still cold. we're just surprised, tom. >> eun drove in in her snuggie. it's cold just about all of maryland, virginia. down into the 20s most of these locations. reagan national is at 36. right near the bay it's a bit milder. hometown forecast, woodbridge, prince william county still right around freezing.

by the lunch hour, bright sunshine, but only in the low 40s and we'll have a calm wind. hour by hour today, we'll have high temperatures reaching the entire region into the mid 40s by mid afternoon, back down to the low 40s. a cold day coming up. dress accordingly. now a look at traffic with danella. >> a special look if you're traveling the beltway of 270. your right lane is going to be blocked. crash there involves a produce truck. it's on its side. should be expected to last through the morning. let's head over to 66 eastbound at sudley. you are clear inside the beltway, no issues, a clear swoop through the rosalyn tunnel. still to come here, no laughing matter. the fallout this morning after a radio station's sell phone prank on the royal family. plus, the wager

john mcafee is in police custody in guatemala. authorities arrested him there for entering the country illegally. he was living in belize and is known for developing anti-virus software. he is considered a person of interest in the shooting death of his neighbor. mcafee insists he did nothing wrong. in new york, murder charges for the man police say shoved another man to his death at a subway station. the video shows davis before the incident. he reportedly got into an argument with man on a subway platform monday. police say davis then pushed him into the path of an oncoming train.

his family wishes bystanders would have intervened. >> i don't really want to dwell about what could have happened. i mean, yeah, the thought of something -- the thought of someone helping him up in a matter of seconds would have been great, but like i said, what happened has happened. >> detectives say davis made statements that implicated himself in the crime during question. a judge ordered him to be held without bail. cuba is now accusing the u.s. of lying about the health of a maryland man in their country. speculation that alan gross has cancer or that is health is deteriorating is false. they say he has been treated decently while in prison, seen qualified doctors and speaks often with friends and family. the u.s. has increased pressure on cuba to release gross who has lost 100 pounds and developed a mass on his shoulder. cuba wants a trade. they will release gross if the u.s. allow five cuban spies to

go free. today quantico's -- the pretrial questions if bradley manning's case should be dismissed. yesterday a top correctional officer said manning was improperly kept on suicide watch for at least seven days. his testimony said this happened on two occasions. the correctional officer also said the commander did not follow a psychiatrist recommendation to take manning off suicide watch. the future of a maryland state delegate seat is once again up the a judge to decide. greg hall filed an appeal in the case. hours earlier, a judge ruled that neither hall nor tiffany a a allston should get the seat. but governor martin o'malley asked the panel to withdraw his nomination after learning of his sketchy past that included gun and drug charges decades ago.

the judge ruled governor martin o'malley will pick the next delegate for the 4th district. virginia is considering a new law that could land you in jail if you're caught texting and driving. but until it's approved, police are using a different method to crack down. it's a law called failure to pay full time attention. it allows officers to pull over drivers who are texting or distracted. those violations have doubled from 7,000 drivers pulled over in 2009 to nearly 12,000 this year and last. lawmakers will take up the stricter texting laws next year. a judge says a fairfax county woman will have to remove parts of her negative online review of a home contractor. the ruling was made yesterday. jane perez complained about her repairs of her townhouse on yelp and angie's list. she also complained that some of her jewelry disappeared. the judge says that goes too far so she has to remove that accusation. >> people have a right to review

that is honest and truthful. if it's negative, but it's true, that's fair. but when it's negative and untrue, that's not fair. >> perez chose not to talk after the hearing. her lawyers say they are considering filing an appeal. this is a preliminary injunction in a $750,000 defamation lawsuit. two australian radio hosts are apologizing for a prank that revealed confidential information about kate middleton. >> hello there. could i please speak to kate please, my grandmother? >> yes, just hold on, ma'am. >> after impersonating the queen and prince charles, the deejays were connected to a nurse in middleton's ward. she revealed the duchess of cambridge had not experienced any morning sickness lately. the pranksters said they did not think they would actually get through.

the nhl lockout is nowhere near over, but players and owners will meet for a third straight day today. sides met until about 1:00 this morning as part of an extended ten-hour session. no details have been released, but players union and owners did exchange new proposals. players say they will meet internally today to go over the new offers. the lockout is now in its 83rd day and the sides are still split over how to divide league revenues. kent ullmann is challenging rashard baker the a friendly wager ahead of sunday's showdown between the redskins and the ravens. >> if somehow -- if you somehow sneak a victory, which i can't imagine happening, even though you got lucky this past week against the giants, i will proudly wear an rg3 jersey for an entire day. >> ullmann says the f the ravens win, he wants baker to wear the jersey of haloti ngata at work on friday. baker has accepted the challenge

but says he wants to up the ante. he will reveal his new terms for the deal today. that's some pretty strong talk there. saying if they sneak by a win. listen, we've won three in a row against some pretty tough teams and he should be proud to wear rg3's jersey any day. >> we know you are. you've been wearing it every day. time is 4:51. time to get a check of weather and traffic on the 1s. >> that's even if you could get an rg3 jersey. if you do have one, you might want to wear three of them this morning. we've got a cold start. there's the washington monument under a clear, cold, and calm sky on this thursday morning. good morning. brr. 36 at reagan national. and we've got a light wind that's coming in out of the north right now. we're talking windchill. yes, windchills are down into the 20s and the temperatures are in the 20s to nearly 30 degrees. most of virginia, most of maryland, that includes prince george's county, montgomery, arlington, fairfax into the

mountains of west virginia and western maryland. many locations there down onto the mid 20s and it's right around freezing as well in the shenandoah valley. here's the view from space. we've got a clear sky here. a few whispy, high clouds coming across the upper midwest. those may be drifting in here later today. but lots of sunshine. a clear morning commute. we'll have dry conditions. we'll be in the upper 20s and low 30s as you head off to work and school on this thursday morning. and then for your lunch hour, some of those high clouds drifting in. chilly in the low and mid 40s by noontime and it will be hovering perhaps in the mid 40s early afternoon. and after we get into the evening hours, we'll cloud up and near freezing by dawn tomorrow. a lot of clouds on friday. slight chance of sprinkles and cloudy over the weekend, too. saturday up around 60. a slight chance of sprinkles on saturday. maybe a greater chance on sunday with highs in 50s. every time this time of year is near 50.

average low 35. the seven-day outlook, greater chance -- in fact, a likelihood of a strong cold front on monday. that will usher in chilly air again. highs in the 40s to near 50 on tuesday and wednesday. i'm back in ten minutes, first 4 traffic now with danella. >> following the situation on the outer loop of the beltway at i-270. the produce truck on its side still blocking the right lane. at some point they'll have to get it back on its wheels so they may have to block an additional lane to do that. we should be getting an update from tony tull shortly. heading over to dulles toll road, very clear, light volume. you can see here, as i said, connecting to the beltway, no issues. taking the beltway in virginia from the dulles toll road to the interchange in both directions, you're clear. back with an update as well as a look at your rails. back over to you.

an eighth grade girl is cooking up a campaign to make the maker of easy bake oven change the toy. >> she wants hasbro to make a gender neutral version of the toy. 13-year-old mckenna pope posted a video on george.org. she says her 4-year-old brother gavin loves to cook. the family tried to get him an easy bake oven but it's all marketed to girls. she says this isn't the message that should be sent to children. >> why are women in the kitchen and guys working? that's basically what hasbro is saying. really, this company that i've grown to love so much, would resort to confirming to societal gender roles? like, i don't see why. >> did i mention that she's 13? pope hopes her appeal will convince hasbro to make a gender neutral oven in time for christmas. so far, hasbro has not commented on the video. i think she's made a really strong case. >> yeah, she can argue this.

>> i think she's got a future in politics. >> it doesn't need to be pink. there's no need for it to be pink. there's other colors out there that everyone likes. >> and the reality is yeah, men and women, girls and boys all love to cook. >> yeah, sometimes men better than women. >> sometimes. >> sometimes women better than men. >> do you cook? >> yeah. we'll have a cookoff. >> oh! >> who says having kids will be the death of you? coming up in the next half-hour, the real impact children have on your longevity. but first, shades of big brother. why a major technology provider wants to track your every move. >> and not so lucky.

we won't be seeing those graphic cigarette pack warnings any time soon. yesterday they denied the government's request to reconsider the labels, which the fda is trying to make a requirement. back in august a court confirmed that many manufactures do not have to comply with the government. verizon is considering new technology that could track your every move. according to to a patent application, the company is trying to create a dvr type device that records you inside your home. the idea is to cater tv ads specifically to you, but some think it's more like big brother and it crosses the line. nbc technology contributors say

many of us already use this kind of technology. >> just the idea that we would all be carrying around gps devices in our pockets, checking into our locations, telling our friends where we are, that would seem creepy five years ago, but nowadays everybody is doing it. >> i just want to enjoy my show, fall asleep in front of the couch and not worry about somebody watching me fall asleep. >> according to the patent, it could detect argue, cuddling, even a pet in the room. absolutely not. are you crazy? i don't want anyone seeing what's going on inside my house. >> wow. what is going on inside your house? >> i've got kids. you know, you got all kinds of stuff going on. >> i gotcha. privacy. >> exactly. a mystery lottery player is missing out on the chance of a lifetime. >> no one came forward to claim a ticket worth $101 million. it's now england's biggest unclaimed prize ev